I don't get it, ebay film prices higher than BH Video

[rlouzan]

Hi,

I really respect your opinion, but can't agree with your statment. My personal experience during the 80s and 90s in NYC was that at one time or another, most stores engaged in one of the following practices:

*Sell grey market items as carying USA warranty.
*Refurbished gear sold as Demos.
*Used gear that never had been checked/serviced.
*Bait and switch tactics.
*Higher price for turists.
*Outdated Pro film sold as fresh.
*No money back (when their ads stated otherwise)
*Rebuilt camera bodies, cast-offs, fakes ...
*No merchandise in stock.
*Misstated condition (mail order)
*fake rebates.
*Credit card charges for items temporarely out of stock.
*We are doing you a favor attitude/ Pay and leave.

and the list goes on and on.

The only stores that I trusted 100%: Ken Hansen, Lens & Repro, Foto Care ...

Regards,
Robert



Also while B&H and Adorama have worked very hard to repair the awful the damage done by the stores in NYC [Brooklyn] which are now mostly gone, the ghost of the continual rip-offs of the '80s and '90s lives on.

Those who got burned, are so angry they will never return even if the film at B&H were free, it is actually the low prices which scare buyers -- "what is the hitch here?"[/quote]

 

[Tzelet]

Seriously? To me, they offer a way of ordering 10-20 rolls of film without having to pay $50 for the shipping. Outside the US, B&H is currently the worst value for money there is. Top of that list is Freestyle.

 

[rlouzan]

Mother of God! 😱

I would have trusted Ken, Jeff with my life. Still would.

As for everyone else -- I have seen everything happen -- even among those I thought were friends. One store, before it went bankrupt, cashed large checks written in my name, which the bankruptcy court attempted to claw back. Obviously they had simply written them and cashed them for "me" while I was at the bank, only of course it was not me who was there at the bank. I had to hire an attorney of course. They were attempting to hide cash from the court with false purchases.

 

[jtm6]

I don't get it, ebay film prices are higher than BH Video.

Why would anyone buy it?

Why would someone list a product for higher than an easily available alternative?

The closing auction price for one of my used lens on feePay was more than the new price at B&H at the time. The starting price was $0.99. They set the final price, not me. I was surprised, but not. The joke at the time among my friends was you could always sell something on feePay for more than you paid for it. I think it has a lot to do with competition, investing time and not wanting to waste it, etc.

But I do see ads that start with high listing prices. Perhaps those buyers don't know better, might be international and dealing with different market/tax forces, etc.

 

[colyn]

Also while B&H and Adorama have worked very hard to repair the awful the damage done by the stores in NYC [Brooklyn] which are now mostly gone, the ghost of the continual rip-offs of the '80s and '90s lives on.

Auto-ram-it-to-ya is still up to their old tricks. A few months ago they tried the bait and switch on me on an eBay sale..even though their ad states the item being auctioned is in stock...

 

[useless generation]

The shipping cost is unreasonable for those sites even of you select one roll the shipping is $60 international. So you have to buy a lot at a time to make it worthwhile, therefore ebay is the winner

 

[mwoenv]

Ebay seems to be worst place for film - typically expired film for the same price or higher than fresh film at other stores online. I also notice a lot of cameras and lenses that are bid up higher than KEH prices without the same confidence in rating and without the same return and warranty policies as KEH.

 

[FrankHarries]

My friend sold a Cd-sampler (new and wrapped) - two guys were bidding in turns - I guess it's kind of an instinct trying to get something you think you need and that seem to be rare - my friend got exactly twice as much as the sampler did cost in the store next corner. crazy E-Bay

 

[Bob Michaels]

............ BTW, can I interest you in this rather unusual tulip bulb?

I suspect only you, Fred, myself and one other person (who is probably Dutch) can relate to the 16th century prices of tulip bulbs

 

[colyn]

Not clear -- did you win an auction and then it was not available -- and a substitute was offered?

Or did you attempt to purchase a like item directly -- which was listed in an auction?

I won a specific model tripod but was then told it was no longer available and they offered me a lesser priced off brand tripod for the win price. The price of the one they tried to rip me for was $52.79 less value than the one I had won but I would have had to pay the higher price if I had accepted..plus it was plastic as opposed to the aluminum model I won..

I told them if they don't have what I won give me back my money. I almost had to file a eBay complaint before they finally sent me the model I had won..

 

[umcelinho]

more film noobs on the market, maybe. at least here in brazil i see a lot of that.

 

[crispy12]

I buy from eBay as BH shipping prices are too much on small orders outside America. Most eBay prices from my regular sellers also include shipping so it actually turns out cheaper.

I have to include an extra $50 -$70 for anything I buy from BH photo or KEH, that's just silly on something smaller than a shoebox and worth the same as the shipping.

It's only worth it if I buy $500 to $1000 worth of film and even that gets import tax for my country.

 

[Al Patterson]

... I once read Adam Smith, it was his idea, one can't buck the market, apparently ... or something like that, he padded it out a bit imo

I think you need to read that again. Not sure you got it the first time...

 

[Al Patterson]

I suspect only you, Fred, myself and one other person (who is probably Dutch) can relate to the 16th century prices of tulip bulbs

I heard about tulips. Lived through 1987, 2000 and 2009...

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

"I can calculate the movement of the stars, but not the madness of men"
Sir Issac Newton, having lost 20k pounds in the South Sea Company
investment in the 1700s.

 

[Sparrow]

"I can calculate the movement of the stars, but not the madness of men"
Sir Issac Newton, having lost 20k pounds in the South Sea Company
investment in the 1700s.

... yep, a lot of people bought into the South Sea Bubble with borrowed money, I found it particularly ironic when dear old Tony (Blair) and Gordan started using Public-Private Partnership as being a good idea just a few years before it went tit-up this last time.

 

[Sparrow]

I think you need to read that again. Not sure you got it the first time...

... yeah right, and thanks for your percipience

 

[varjag]

B&H would charge an arm and a leg for overseas shipping, and you have to pay import tax on the courier cost too. For small purchases it's simply not worth it.

 

[BenJT]

Ebay prices leave me scratching my head sometime. I have been buying and selling there for 3 years, if I can find a better price through a legit retailer I always go that way, but sometimes you need something scarce or want a good deal on something used and ebay is the best option. I recently got lucky on a second chance offer and got a v700 for $400, BH has the best price at $519, I watched several used ones go on ebay for around $550, makes no sense. One of the things that pisses me off the most is people trying to get waaaay to much for vintage camera stuff, its as if they don't check the sold completions to see what's its really worth, and just see the other few way overpriced listings and think that's what they can get. I have decided I am buying all camera stuff from keh when possible from now on.

But, I see where you guys outside the US are coming from.